David's Aunt
by Suzotchka
Summary: David's life and interaction with his aunt, godmother and stepmother.
1. Default Chapter

David's Aunt

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot

Summary: David's life and interaction with the woman who is his aunt, godmother and stepmother. ( not blood aunt)

Six year old David Sheridan wanted to scream after listening to his parents fighting for the last half of an hour. It was near eight o' clock, he was supposed to be in bed, but John Sheridan, President of the Interstellar Alliance and his wife Delenn, once Entil'zha, now Ambassador to the Alliance were too busy to help him change and get into bed. Delenn was not a warrior, as such, she did not make a brilliant Entil'zha. Not bad, just not brilliant. However, she was needed as a symbol between the two peoples at the time she was Entil'zha. Three years ago she had stepped down and all agreed it was for the better.

David was so tired of all the shouting. No one was looking. The sun was just falling. He stared to the house a little over a quarter of a mile away. It was so tempting to and seek comfort there. No one would notice he was gone he reasoned, besides, this was the ranger training facility or the grounds were, the actual building was a quarter of a mile in another direction. But this was the safest place in the universe.

His mind was made up. His small legs covered the familiar path in fifteen minutes. As he arrived, the resident was just arriving home. She turned and seeing him, smiled and waited for him to reach her, hugging him and giving him a kiss before ushering him inside. " Aunt Susan," he sighed, relieved she wasn't angry with him

The woman in front of him was Susan Ivanova, Entil'zha of the Rangers and Vice President of the Interstellar Alliance. She wore a black turtle neck and long black skirt with the black cloak and badge of the rangers. Her hair was in a widow's bun. She was slim, underweight, her eyes had a haunted look that never quite went a way. He was drawn back to the time three years ago, when he had first met her. It was one of his first memories.

It was late night. His father and uncles had been gone for several days. They had been quite upset right before they left. Swearing about some one named Bester. They were back. He snuck downstairs and peered in the door to his father's study. Sheridan and Garibaldi were pacing the room, with angry, concerned looks on their faces. He followed their gaze to where Dr. Franklin was kneeling in front of a woman. She was young, and yet so old. Her body seemed broken where she was curled into a corner. Her slight form was clothed in a black skirt, peasant blouse and vest, all threadbare , with nothing to protect her body from the shivers that were running through her body. Her body was covered in wounds. She seemed afraid of the men, but did not move away, as if afraid to stay and afraid to move.

He entered the room. To everyone's' surprise, she lifted her head just a little. She reached toward him just a little and after slightly grazing his arm with her torn hand, she pulled back bowing her head as if apologizing for acting without permission. Sheridan quickly reassured her, " it's okay, Susan, this is David." He pushed his son towards the woman just a bit.

The woman was Susan Ivanova, and she had just spent the last three years in a Psi Corp prison being used as a breeder, and in that time had born six children. She had endured constant torture. Even years later she had such difficulty moving her back. They had taken a whip to it nearly everyday, knives and fire. From that moment on he knew her as ' Aunt Susan' and in his world of parents fighting, and Uncle Stephen and Uncle Michael both caught up in their private lives, she was the only one he had.

She had taken over as Entil'zha and Vice President as soon as she was able. Since she had come, there had been trouble between Mother and Father. Mother blamed her for the death of Marcus Cole. Also, Mimbari custom required that she as a single woman stay away from Father, one of her best friends, a married man. While she respected this and never entered their home and had stopped seeing John outside of work. But he was upset. She was sick. Often times she would loose consciousness from the pain. The alliance did so much shipping of supplies, they never had painkillers to spare for her, or at least not enough. She needed someone to check up on her. Mother wouldn't allow father to ever go to her home. She was not entirely pleased that David visited Susan so often , but Father had put his foot down there.

While this issue was not the center of the fights, it had opened father up to the fact that his wife could be a cold shrew.

Just like ever time David visited after running away, Susan fed him, made him hot chocolate and lay him in the room he had in her home. After he fell asleep she lifted him up, ignoring the pain it sent up her back, carried him home. She had already sent a text message. She rang the bell and waited for John to come. When he opened the door she silently handed David over and left.

Four years later, Delenn was dead, shot by a bullet meant for Sheridan. David felt tears force themselves out of him. Father looked lost as well. Stephen and Michael were there with their wives. So was Aunt Susan. David in his grief barely registered the fact that it was her first time since she had come there. She held him and allowed him to express his grief with one had on Sheridan's shoulder.

Six months passed. Father had resumed work. David had returned to school. For the past few days David had had the feeling something was going on. His suspicions were confirmed when Sheridan left the home in the evening and returned hours later . The next day, Sheridan summoned him.


	2. David's Aunt 2

David's Aunt

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot

David sat on his bed feeling numb. The day before his father had announced his intention to marry again. Today he had brought his new wife home. She had come in a moment to sit with him before father had forced her to go with him to his room. She said to him that she should stay in her own home, this was after all strictly a political arrangement. He refused, demanding she live in their home. She agreed somewhat hesitantly. When he had taken her from David's room, Father had told her that they were going to their room, and she suggested that she stay in a separate room. Again, Father demanded she stay with him, she was his wife now he said. She complied, the look on her face of a woman obeying a man who had become master of her fate. David knew that was not so, even she did. He was old enough to know what father wanted. She sure must. She knew father better then anyone alive. Father had married Aunt Susan.

The marriage was to keep the image of a strong Alliance. He the commander in chief, marrying his second in command sent a good message, especially when the Alliance was supposedly torn over Delenn's death. In her life they had made it appear as if she were a greater part of the alliance then she really was. David had loved her yes. But as a child must love a mother. The two had never been exceptionally close. He was closer to Susan then he had been to Delenn. Right now, his biggest complaint was that he had wanted Susan to stay with him longer.

With his father's marriage to Susan, there was a new norm around the house. John and Susan were not in love. They had never been in love. They were more like brother and sister in their friendship then husband and wife. It was a comfortable place to spend his adolescent years. The two rarely fought, and when they did it was mostly heated discussions about work.

Susan rose early, even before five and spent half an hour in slowly practicing with her denn bok, along with meditation. She then bathed and dressed, before packing a lunch for David to take to school, putting his lunch in his school bag and leaving the bag by the door. She ironed and lay out his school uniform the night before. She would make something for breakfast, like fresh cinnamon buns, which she would prepare the night before and bake in the morning, have a jug of fresh juice in the fridge. She would even set the coffeemaker to go off at seven when David and John woke. She would leave so that she could be at Ranger headquarters by six.

What David loved the most was that he could go to her after school. That was what she wanted. She wanted to know where he was and to have someone watching him. He loved that she cared enough to do it herself. All the physical training and work with the fleet was done in the morning, the meetings were in the early afternoons, so by the time he got there, she would be doing paper work as Rangers and diplomats came to her office. She allowed him to watch, as long as he did his homework. Around seven they would go home, he would rush to play outside as she made dinner. Father would talk with her as she did, helping out in little tasks. They would eat at eight, David would have time with his parents before going to bed at nine.

The only change was Sunday. On that day Father woke early, and made the only thing he knew how to make, pancakes. She would wake later, at seven thirty or so, they would eat at eight before going to the church which had been established on Mimbar, Aunt Susan coming along for his sake. After services they would spend a day of leisure, before Uncle Stephen and Uncle Michael came over for a barbeque.

The years passed comfortably with little change. Aunt Susan was becoming even more ill. It was becoming more difficult for her to move, her back ached, and though she tried to hid it, her sight was failing. Stephen who of course noticed, demanded to examine her and came out of the room in tears. She had a tumor on her back caused by all the damage to it from the torture, it was a disease she had caught, harmless to men, that was causing her sight to fail and her joints and bones to ache. Neither situation was curable. She would have a few years yet, if everything went well, but a shorter life then most. The worst part was he didn't have the pain killers to help her, everything was being used in the Interstellar relief center, and what little he could spare was never enough. David had watched hidden so many times as John, who had been trained by Stephen would lay her on her stomach at the end of the day, lift her shirt to expose her scarred back, rub the clove oil on the area around the tumor from the meager supply, plunge a needle into the tumor and draw out liquid. Her tired body would tremble in pain. John would speak soothingly to her. When it was over, he would gently clean the area, help her change and put her to bed. As she drifted off he would watch her, with a sorrow filled look on his face.

It was decided that she needed a break, although she protested vigorously, she was overruled. Both she and father needed to visit Earth again, and David should see the home of his father. So it was in his fourteenth summer, that the three of them visited the Sheridan farm.


	3. Chapter 3

David's Aunt

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot.

Author's note: Thank you to Bud for your extremely helpful review. Some of the questions you have were answered in the story, others I will try to address in later chapters.

The three of them traveled by civilian liner. All of them wore cloaks with long hoods to keep from being recognized. They had three seats together, with their bags at their feet. Father was in the aisle seat, David at the window with Aunt Susan in the middle. Father was grumbling about having to wear the hood and about the pilot's flying, wanting to be flying himself. Aunt Susan gave a rare smile at his child like behavior. She too wanted a smoother ride, for different reasons. Each bump jostled her, paining her back horribly. The arm rest between Father and Aunt Susan had been raised and she was resting against him as he rubbed her back a bit, trying to help her control her breathing.

After the long journey, they were all exhausted. When they arrived, David looked around amazed. Father had rented a shuttle at the Io and taken them in it straight to his parents home. They landed between the barn and the house. By the time father opened the door, everyone had rushed out. His grandparents, his uncles, his aunt Liz, their spouses and children. He was hugged warmly and led inside. Father was like a child, his face red and smiling. One of his uncles grabbed the bags and took them inside.

After dinner he went up to Aunt Susan's and Father's room. It was fathers old room. His two uncles and their wives were in their old room, with a curtain between the two beds. Aunt Liz and her husband were in her old room, and the grandparents in theirs. The girl cousins were in the living room and he and the boys were in the basement. To an only child it was a dream come true. But he had noticed some tension.

Aunt Susan was lying in bed. She had a handkerchief in her hand and was wearing a black nightgown. She looked exhausted, but smiled as he came in, sitting up in concern when she saw the worried look on his face.

" What's wrong, child?" she said reaching forth to brush his hair from his face.

He hesitated, not knowing how to put his uneasy feeling into words, " What is wrong with grandmother and Aunt Liz? Why don't they like us?"

" You noticed," she frowned slightly, " You have to understand that Patricia and Liz were very close to Anna. They are trying to honor her memory and think we are trying to usurp her place. "

" Did they like mother?" he asked.

" They didn't know Delenn."

" What about you, did you like her?" David held his breath as he asked. It was a topic that was not discussed between them.

" Delenn was not the person we thought she was."

" What do you mean?"

" She was less human and more mimbari then we thought." They both knew she was referring to how strict and un-understanding Delenn had become during her marriage. She had refused to allow her husband to see un married women at all, including Susan and had made his home life miserable. David knew not to press further. Aunt Susan would say no more.

She lay back after another coughing fit. David poured her a glass of water and she thanked him as she took a sip. He looked around the room. It was John's old room. Posters of fighters and fighter pilots that were fifty years old hung around the room, carefully preserved.

" I am not sure how much I will like it here." he admitted. She hushed him and ran a hand through his hair. " Something doesn't feel right" He continued. She didn't say anything, but he knew she felt the same.

What she did say was, " for your father's sake, try to enjoy it." They both did as she asked, attempting to feign interest as John spoke excitedly about the farm and the work there.

David and Susan were spending an afternoon in the small town. John had taken to working the farm with his father, brothers and nephews. He had wanted David to help and had been disappointed when his son had proven little help. Susan, sensing the child's hurt, had coldly told John she was taking him out. He, wrapped up in his work, had not noticed his wife's obvious remoteness.

David complained to his aunt. " It is not like grandfather is any help, he is so old. And father thinks he is in charge because he is the oldest, he doesn't even notice that his brothers and nephews laugh behind his back at him. They think he is a city man now, that he has lost touch with the farm and has no right to tell them what to do. They don't respect him at all. And he was yelling at me, when I couldn't milk the cow." John had woken early the day before, as he had been every day since he had arrived, and become angry that his son was the only one of the boys who did not rise to help, had woken him. He had then dragged the half asleep boy to teach him to milk the cow. The child failed miserably. Since then, John and David had been avoiding each other. Susan, a light sleeper, had woken when John left, had just come downstairs when David burst in the door, barely holding back tears. Since then, his cousins, already aloof as they saw his stately manners, necessary for him to learn because he often joined his parents at diplomatic dinners. Besides, Susan had been raised in a more formal home and that was the way she raised David. Susan herself knew nothing about farming. She had been raised in a business family. Besides, her illness had made such work for her so difficult. She needed to rest now. She helped with the housework. John's sister and sisters- in - law, saw her as an uppity woman, when they compared the silk gowns she wore to their own rough clothing, and the Sabbath and evening gowns she had brought. Susan wore all black. She had since Marcus had died. Since becoming Entil'Zha, she had taken to wearing Mimbari gowns, black Mimbari gowns. Knowing how hot it could get, John had warned her to take the lightest possible gowns, or the thinnest silk which she had. As always, she looked like a 19th century widow, except that she wore alien gowns. Both factors insulted her husbands family. She was too tired to really care.

So the two of them were out. They had had a light lunch at a cafe and Susan was looking through the crafts stalls to find something to take back to Michael and Stephen. She held up a handmade pottery vase with hand painted figures on it. She turned to show it to David. He was three stalls down, looking worriedly at two rough men who looked as if they were holding him. Upset with David for leaving when she had told him not to, and with the men for threatening her stepson, she went up to him, firmly putting her hand on his shoulder and began to pull him away. One of the men grabbed David's other arm and pulled back. Anger rose in her eyes as her hands fell on the gun held to David's back. A wicked smile came over the man's face as he saw her attention diverted. " We've been waiting for you Madame Vice President." He sneered her title and pointed a gun to her back and began to forcibly lead them from the main road.

" Leave the child be. What is it you want?" she asked, trying to remember the diplomacy her husband had taught her on Babylon 5. The men laughed and forced them both into a back alley. She lay her hand on David's shoulder, telling him to do as the men said, before they slapped her hand away.

They walked for an hour, out of the town, into a wooded area between farms. Susan was able to determine they were moving north. The area they were in was filled with caves. They entered the largest one and followed the caverns to the last chamber, a small lightless, gated cavern, where the two were left with a single candle and locked inside. David whimpered as the door closed, " I'm sorry, I know I wasn't supposed to leave, I didn't mean it."

" Shhh, It's okay, we all make mistakes." She rocked him a bit until he calmed before looking around. The cavern was round, but no more then 10ft in any direction. Except the candle and them, there was nothing there, not even a blanket. While it was in the 90's outside, in the cavern it was near freezing and she shook involuntarily. She knew that her cough would worsen if she stayed here long. She stood and checked the premises for anything that could be used to escape as well as anything that could be used against them, just as cameras, microphones and anything that could leak gas, just like a good solder. The routine calmed her and she pulled David into a corner, letting him lay his head on her lap she spoke to him, telling him he must do nothing to endanger himself, and if the chance presented itself, he must escape. She ran a hand through his hair and began to speak softly in a language he recognized as Hebrew. He knew she was praying for him, and it soothed him as they waited for something to happen.

Hours passed and David was becoming hungry. The door opened. He sat up as Aunt Susan straightened herself and held up the candle, bracing herself. A blond man entered and Aunt Susan jumped slightly, " Malcolm." she said lowering her candle and standing, slipping her hand in her sleeve for the Mimbari pike in the holder she had there, the weapon she had been afraid to pull out when they were captured because of the gun pointed to David's back.

The man smiled, " Hello Susan."


	4. David's Aunt 4

David's Aunt

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot

John paced the deck at his parents home. It was after sunset, nearly nine now, and Susan and David were not back yet. He tried to remember where they had said they were going. He had absentmindedly listed to Susan tell him about going in to town, as they got dressed that morning, but he had no idea when they had left or when they would be back. He wondered what could be keeping them so long. It could be Susan's health, perhaps she had become ill, or fainted and had been unable to move or contact him. He wondered about her condition and berated himself for not having played closer attention.

He continued pacing. The evening was humid, yet bearable without the hot sun. His mother called the family in for dinner. Everyone gathered around the table, except him. His father came out with a worried look on his face and came to stand next to his son. , " They should have been back by now." John nodded and said nothing. David Sr. grasped his son's shoulder before urging him to come inside.

In a moment he complied. He turned his attention to the women. " Did Susan say when she would be back?"

Elizabeth sneered, " All I know is that she isn't around to make herself useful. I told her we were having company today and she ought to stay and help. What kind of daughter in law is she? She ought to do more for mother. Mother had to serve them her self. Now she has the whole household up in arms because Madame Vice President can't show up for dinner in time. We have waited for over an hour. What is it? Are we not good enough for the Russian princess?"

By now, he and his family knew of Susan's affluent background. He had never held it against her. Her character was in his opinion just fine, better then just about anyone he knew, he also knew that most of her money went to charity and that she took little for herself. He was irritated with his sister. He was no Garibaldi, but he knew something was wrong. He got up, " Something is wrong. I am going after them." He rose from the table and went upstairs to gather a few supplies, including a gun. When he came downstairs, his father was ready as well. " I am going with you." he told his son, and the two men walked at of the house towards town.

David watched in amazement. Aunt Susan rose slowly, as was her manner now. He rose with her and she pushed him back with a hand. The blond man entered and carefully closed the door behind him.

" What do you want?" she repeated and the man laughed.

" You know what I want. Disbandment of the Alliance, Alliance military to join Earth Force, and the handover of Earth enemies to us."

" You know I won't do that."

" I am afraid you will, once you have a chance to mull over the consequences." He pushed her into the wall, placed his arms on either side of her began to kiss her forcibly. She shoved him back and David watched the rage grow in his eyes. He hit her hard, so hard her head snapped to the side and her nose began to bleed as she fell back. He hit her again and grabbed her arm, twisting it until it broke and she fell to the ground. He kicked at her a few times before storming out, swearing obscenities at her.

She had fallen hard on her back. David screamed and rushed to her side. Her eyes were closed. Her face was ashen and her lips blue. She had fainted, David realized. He sat quietly next to her for what seemed like an eternity. Finally she woke, slowly and stiffly as if she wished she were still out. , " I'm all right." she said before he could ask.

" Who was that ?" David asked. She hesitated and he could tell she was trying to decide whether she was going to tell him or not.

" That was Malcolm Biggs. I went out with him once, a long time ago. After I transferred to the IO we broke up. Eight years later he came to Babylon 5, pretending to want to start something again. What he really wanted was my help in Home Guard. I helped captured him. I guess they let him out."

" What is Home Guard?"

" An anti alien organization. They work to promote Earth and Human Rights over Aliens."

" Humans may be the glue that hold us together, but they are also the most prejudiced. I never want to come back here again."

" I am sorry you feel so, but I can't say I blame you. I just wish you knew the Earth I did as a child, before the Corp. It is a beautiful place, and not all humans are so closed minded. Now you remember what I told you. Escape whenever you get the chance." He nodded and lay his head against her She wondered how long until they were noticed missing and how long until someone found them.

It was near midnight. John and David had slipped into the poorer section of town. John knew someone would know what had happened. So far he knew that the two had been shopping, that David had slipped away and Susan had followed. There had been an argument with some rough looking men, before they left with the men. That was in the after noon.

John saw a vendor who was looking at him curiously. On a hunch he approached the man and whispered his need to him. The man hesitated before John handed over 100 credits in cash. He pocketed the money before leaning in to whisper. Susan and David had been taken by Home Guard, who had made their presence heavy in the last few weeks. They had their headquarters in caverns outside of town. It was the direction the two had been taken. John motioned to David and the two rushed where the man pointed.

At dawn Susan heard a noise outside. She had fallen asleep in a horrible position. She nearly moaned as she sat up. The noise was clearly PPG firing. She shook David awake. He was disoriented and frightened by the noise. She didn't have enough time to explain. The noise was getting nearer. Then as suddenly as it started it stopped. Footsteps came near, someone opened the door. Susan prepared to fight, this was the best chance they would have to escape. There was no need though. John rushed in, lifting David in his arms and hugging him hard, before taking Susan's hand and lifting her up. He smiled sheepishly at her before saying, " We can leave tomorrow." She nodded.

They waited there with the four bound up men as David Sr. ran to inform the authorities. They were back in little over an hour. When everything was cleared up, they left for Mimbar.


End file.
